Twinkiegeddon

Mark Mcguire, Right Now

Published 11:21 pm, Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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No more Twinkies? Where would one get their recommended daily requirement of sodium stearoyl lacytlate? Bankruptcy and labor woes has put the maker of the iconic cakes on the brink. Healthier eating habits haven?t helped. Whither HoHos, Ding Dongs and Suzy Q?s? (Mark McGuire) less

No more Twinkies? Where would one get their recommended daily requirement of sodium stearoyl lacytlate? Bankruptcy and labor woes has put the maker of the iconic cakes on the brink. Healthier eating habits ... more

Twinkiegeddon

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In aisle 9 of the Elsmere Hannaford supermarket on Wednesday morning, across from the Yogi Echinacea Immune Support and all the other all-natural and/or organic teas, sat the last box of Twinkies on the shelves.

Truth is, I wouldn't have noticed if not for the fact that the iconic cake with 13 lines of ingredients — many unpronounceable — may be on death's door.

Hostess Brands Inc., already in bankruptcy, is now crippled by a strike after the company tried to cut benefits by nearly a third, wages by 8 percent and extend the workday.

The CEO said the company will not survive an extended work stoppage. Hostess' market share has been taking a hit for years as parents have turned to healthier fare for their kids.

Ken Barnes, 37, grew up in Albany scarfing down Twinkies. His 13-month-old daughter, Chloe, will not.

"If it's not organic, I don't do it," the Delmar man said.

He meant for his kid; he had a Twinkie just a few months back. But times have changed from when he was a youth.

"There wasn't organic. There wasn't all natural. There wasn't the fear," he said. "There was just food."

Regardless of changing tastes and a growing health consciousness, the prefab food sparks strong nostalgia for some. Esther Persico's face lit up as she walked past a conversation about Twinkies. "My husband had one in his lunch every day," the 78-year-old said.

Her husband of 48 years died in February. "I heard 'Twinkies' and immediately thought of him," she said.

We later chatted before I left the store, the last box of Twinkies in my bag. Back at the office I had one for the first time in decades. It tasted pretty much as I remembered.